{"podcast":{"title":"Money Girl","slug":"money-girl-689731","podcast_index_feed_id":689731,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/69c148bb1a160b44db9c8fcc","website_url":"https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/69c148bb1a160b44db9c8fcc/1774970200129-f6b38ffd-b4dc-400d-92fd-612f7f06a27f.jpeg","author":"Macmillan Holdings, LLC","episode_count":1033,"summary":"Laura Adams provides short and friendly personal finance, small business, real estate, and investing tips to help you live a richer life. Whether you're just starting out or are already a savvy investor, Money Girl's advice will point you in the right direction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-26T08:20:28.071144+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/money-girl-689731"},"episode":{"title":"Is a HELOC worth the risk?","slug":"is-a-heloc-worth-the-risk","published_at":"2026-05-15T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/money-girl-689731/is-a-heloc-worth-the-risk","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/money-girl-689731","url":"https://shows.acast.com/money-girl/episodes/is-a-heloc-worth-the-risk","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69c148bb1a160b44db9c8fcc/e/6a026c6192e9663a6fb5059e/media.mp3","summary":"1019. If you have enough home equity and not enough cash, you may wonder about taking a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Laura answers a listener’s question about whether taking a larger HELOC to pay for an expensive car repair and an upcoming wedding is a good or “horrible” idea.  Key Takeaways: Most lenders require you to maintain at least 20% home equity after tapping it with a HELOC. HELOC borrowers must also have enough income, a suitable debt-to-income ratio, and sufficient credit scores to qualify. Getting a HELOC gives you more flexibility and lower interest rates than other financing options, such as a credit card. If you use HELOC funds to buy, build, or remodel a home, interest paid on a limited amount of debt is tax-deductible. Primary HELOC downsides include paying variable interest, reducing your home equity, and risking foreclosure if you’re unable to repay it. Upcoming Wedding Series Coming Up: We want your questions about wedding finances! Whether you're the bride, groom, or a guest, send us your questions about budgeting for the big day. Email: money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail: (302) 364-0308.  Discover more from Money Girl! Facebook Newsletter Transcripts available at QuickandDirtyTips.com . Email: Laura@LauraDAdams.com or leave a voicemail: (302) 364-0308. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"1019. If you have enough home equity and not enough cash, you may wonder about taking a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Laura answers a listener’s que…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":879,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/money-girl-689731/episodes/is-a-heloc-worth-the-risk/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/money-girl-689731/is-a-heloc-worth-the-risk.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}